Teacher Raves About Technology with DePauw Roots in Education Journal

November 19, 2004

November 19, 2004, Greencastle, Ind. - "In 2003, I read an article about the use of video tablets in conjunction with an educational collaboration software called DyKnow VISION at DePauw University in Indiana," writes David Schroeder of Cabrillo High School in Lompoc, California, in the November 2004 issue of THE Journal. The roots of DyKnow's software can be traced back to DePauw and Professor David Berque (read more here and here).

Schroeder, a math teacher at Cabrillo, notes, "Using the system, DePauw professors were able to instantly transmit an instructor's handwriting, text, images and dynamic Web content to students' computer workstation, where they could then annotate and exchange the material. This gave students the ability to deconstruct and replay material either in class or remotely from home. I was mainly attracted to DyKnow VISION's collaboration features that allow teachers to isolate a student's work in class and 'broadcast' it to the screen at the front of the classroom. I was very impressed with the DePauw story and found a professor from the university who had been using the system. He gave it rave reviews and offered useful advice on how Cabrillo might integrate VISION into its curriculum."

The California school was looking to ramp up its educational technology after it "formed a 'school within a school' called the Marine Technology Institute," Schroeder writes. "The theory behind the new program was to teach math, science and English in a way that would use technology to focus on the ocean, while allowing us to incorporate the aquarium and its resources into our lesson plans. It was all part of a plan to inject excitement and interest into the classroom; ultimately, to re-engage our students. Our first hurdle, however, was finding a way to purchase the necessary hardware and software."

The teacher states, "Since implementing DyKnow VISION, Cabrillo has received positive feedback from teachers and students alike. Our ability to captivate students with dynamic content; empower them through collaboration and feedback tools; and send them away with a set of personal, archived notes has proved to be invaluable. I often ask students to come up with solutions on their tablets and then pull individual panels to the main projected computer. This allows me to show how students arrived at their conclusions, as well as points out where they went right or wrong. At other times, I'll let students lead the class from their own tablets and direct the solution themselves. This system has fostered a classroom dialogue that didn't exist before. In addition, parents have been appreciative because they can now easily look at course material with their children year-round."

Schroeder believes the system "seems to have had a positive effect -- at least anecdotally -- on grades as well. I used DyKnow VISION on the tablet PCs in my Math II class, a two-semester mathematics course, during the 2003-2004 academic year. Mainly geared toward sophomores, the course becomes progressively harder by the second semester as more abstract topics are introduced. Using DyKnow VISION in Math II, second-semester final exam averages improved from 72% to 82% between the 2002-2003 and 2003-2004 academic years."

Read the complete article by clicking here. THE (Technological Horizons in Education) Journal is the most widely read education technology publication, serving educators for more than 30 years.